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The Ultimate Guide to Studying and Taking the Patent Bar: Strategies for Achieving a High Score on the Exam

What are some study tips?

In this tab we will share what the Patent Bar Review Courses offer for effective study tips.

No matter whose course you purchase, or whether you plan to tackle the MPEP on your own, the Patent Bar exam is difficult and encompasses a heavy load of subjects. However, it is manageable. The time you invest in learning the material will determine whether you pass or fail the exam.


The amount of preparation time required to learn the material varies from individual to individual. On the average, a student dedicating 15-20 hours a week may need about 3-4 months to be fully prepared.

The key to maximizing your study time is to focus on the material that will be tested. Knowing what will be tested the most heavily makes all the difference. There is way too much information in the MPEP to absorb it all (it's over 3,000 pages of material). For starters, chapters 600, 700 and 2100 of the MPEP are always hit the hardest.

Learning the material and then taking practice exams over and over until you can pass them is by far the best way to ensure a passing grade. Although you can use the MPEP on test day, you must realize now that you will only have time to look up about 10-15 questions during the exam.

Here are a few more helpful study tips:

Balance your life. You just can't sit and study all your waking hours, but don't completely slack off either. Make a commitment to study a certain number of hours a week and stick to that.

Break it down. This is especially important when studying for the Patent Bar exam. The test covers information from the MPEP, which is a huge monstrosity of a manual. To keep from being overwhelmed, break it up into manageable portions. Whether you are going to tackle the MPEP alone or use a review package (they will load you down with pages and pages to read too!), make a long list of tasks that can be accomplished in an hour or so. Complete these tasks and you will feel as though you are making progress and are in control.

Set realistic goals. When you get to every task on your task list, set a specific goal. For example, "I'll read 40 pages of the Guidebook to Patent Law between 5 and 6:30 pm tonight". You might even do more or finish earlier.

Use even the smallest amounts of time. How much time do you spend waiting around every day? Waiting for class, waiting for the bus, travel time to and from work or school everyday? Don't waste this time. Make sure to carry whatever review materials you are currently working on with you all the time.

Study smarter. Do your best while studying and work hard. If you waste your study time, you will have to go over the same material again. Keep repeating this cycle and you'll be nowhere real fast!

Be an active learner, not a passive reader. Preview each chapter before you read it to stimulate questions. Write and organize notes, draw out a flowchart or similar diagram when you can.  Source : Patent Bar Studies